Assessment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in women with breast cancer: a Neuman systems model framework.

The importance of nursing theory and models for the development of the nursing profession is becoming increasingly evident in literature. This article demonstrates the use of the Betty Neuman Systems Model (NSM) to assess, as well as determine the predictors of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients diagnosed with breast cancer receiving doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. The selection of the model for practice reflects the congruency between the level of severity of CINV and the patient-related risk factors. In addition, the NSM was used to determine the appropriate nursing interventions necessary to strengthen the flexible lines of defense and the lines of resistance in addition to maintaining system stability.